Strongly addictive painkiller Subsys prescribed for patients who should not have received it

A whistleblower Patty Nixon, who worked as a sales representative for the drug manufacturer Insys, says that its major drug Subsys was prescribed for patients who never should have had it.She’s a former Insys sales rep turned whistleblower. According to the company web-sire the drug contains the massively strong medication fentanyl and it is a spray that is absorbed underneath the tongue, which results in faster absorption.

Whistleblower Nixon says her job was to contact insurance companies on behalf of the patients and the doctors to get the medication approved and paid for by their insurance company. Nixon says NBC that her supervisor told her ways to trick the insurers into believing it was “medically necessary.” The medication is approved only for cancer patients but was apparently sold to patients who did not have cancer.

Prosecutors say the company paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to doctors in exchange for prescribing Subsys. Three top prescribers have already been convicted of taking bribes from Insys. Insys has denied any responsibility and insists it shouldn’t be blamed for how doctors prescribe their products. The corporation is not facing criminal charges and is still selling Subsys — some $240 million worth of Subsys just last year.